Brock Purdy's wide receivers are in his corner.
Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk took to Instagram to defend the San Francisco 49ers quarterback from some of the criticism he has faced after struggling at times during the Divisional Round win over the Green Bay Packers:
ππππππππ£ππ§π¨ @TheSFNiners<a href="">#49ers</a> Deebo Samuel defends Brock Purdy:<br><br>"Never seen so much hate for a QB that lead the league in almost every category y'all folks be buggin frfr. That tape don't tell lies" <a href="">
Coach Yac π£ @Coach_YacBrandon Aiyuk π€ Brock Purdy<br><br>BA has Brock's back with all the shit talk going on by the media <a href="">
Samuel's post appeared to be in response to comments from ESPN analyst and former NFL defensive back Ryan Clark.
Clark was critical of Purdy both during and after the 49ers' 24-21 win over Green Bay, especially in comparison to other quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen:
Ryan Clark @Realrclark25Yo!! Watching this game with Allen & Mahomes, after Baltimore & Lamar yesterday makes me think⦠"How does Brock Purdy beat any of these dudes?"
Purdy played far from his best game against the Packers. He finished 23-of-39 for 252 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions, which is a solid but unspectacular stat line that doesn't completely capture the times he missed open receivers or chances to put his team ahead.
To his credit, he delivered with the game on the line.
San Francisco got the ball back down four points in the final seven minutes after the Packers missed a field goal. Purdy directed a 12-play, 69-yard drive that took up much of the remaining time and ended with a Christian McCaffrey touchdown run.
NFL @NFLCMC FOR THE LEAD<br><br>πΊ: <a href="">#GBvsSF</a> on FOX<br>π±: Stream on <a href="">#NFLPlus</a> <a href=""> <a href="">
The quarterback went 6-of-7 passing on the drive, including a clutch third-down throw to Aiyuk and a 17-yard pass to Chris Conley that moved the 49ers into scoring position. Considering some of his earlier troubles against the Green Bay defense, it was a drive that will long be remembered in San Francisco if the 49ers go on to win the Super Bowl.
He also directed that drive while Samuel was on the sidelines because of a shoulder injury.
Purdy has already far exceeded any expectations that came with being the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft. He was an MVP candidate for stretches this season and completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while adding two more scores on the ground.
While most NFL fans and analysts would likely grant that he isn't quite on the same level as Mahomes, Allen and Jackson, among some others, he has still been excellent all season for a team that could take home a Lombardi Trophy.
And his wide receivers let people know about it.
